Fire extinguisher



.A gs. v. SWARR, SR 2,355,483

FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed. Jan 8, 1942 f 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Aug. 8, 1944. s. v. SWARR. SR 2,355,483

. FIRE EXTINGLYIISHERY Filed Jan. 8, 1942 3' Sheets-Sheet 2 r 72 INVENTOR ATTORNEY A g. 8, 1944. "a v. swARR,.;, I 2,355,483

' FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Jan. 8, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORI ATTORNEY am 1/. Swarn S7;

Patented Aug. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIRE EXTINGUISHER Samuel V. Swarr, Sr., Lancaster, Pa., assignor of twenty per cent to Leon L. Eckert and Sue M.

Eckert, both of Lancaster,-Pa.

Application January 8, 1942 Serial No. 426,090

2 Claims. (01. 169-33) The present invention consists of a portable fire extinguisher especially adapted for household and vehicular use, being of a size and construction to permit stowing in a relatively small space in addition, to lending itself to facile personal transportation. It is likewise within the contem lation of this invention to provide a hand pump extinguisher for expelling the fluid under pressure, yet permitting use of the fluid container per se, for automatic dispensing of the fluid by thermal action.

It is also an object of this invention to employ a sealed container for the fire extinguishing fluid which co-acts with a suitable fluid dispensing means, the latter initially functioning to open thecontainer thereby ermitting immediate expulsion of the .fiuid, under action of said means, without the necessity of first removing or adju'sting the means.

It is apparent that various other objects will be manifest from the following description of the present preferred forms of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a fire extinguisher constructed in accordance with the present invention; v r

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the same; V

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary verticalsectional view of the fire extinguishing fluid container per se;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional viewof the means employed for puncturing the fluid container and expelling the fluid from the container;

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary sectional view of the container and container puncturing and fluid expelling means, shown in engagement before the puncturing means has been withdrawnfrom the of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows,

showing the punctured end of the container in end elevation;

Fig. 8 is a similar view taken on the line 8-4 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows,

showing to advantage the puncturing agent and its associated structure;

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of the puncturing agent per se;

Fig. 10 is a detail fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of container and means for puncturing the latter and expelling its contents;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line i l-l l of Fig. 10, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing to advantage the modified puncturing agents of the present invention and their associating structure;

Fig. 12 is an elevational view of one of the modified puncturing agents shown in Figs. 10 and 11;

Fig. 13 is adetail fragmentary sectional View of a container and means for puncturing the latter and expelling its contents, the expelling means being a modification of that shown in Figs.1to11;

Fig. 1a is a longitudinal sectional View of a modified form of container as used in the embodiment of invention illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11; and

Fig. 15 is a cross sectional view taken on the 2 line |5l5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the form of invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9 of the drawings, I employ a sealed container l6 which may be of any desired size and shape and constructed of any suitable material. Both ends of thecontainer are closed, the bottom wall having a threaded nipple l1 issuing therefrom, the lower end of which is reversely folded to provide an annular flange l8. The top wall of the container is equipped with a truncated cone IS, the inner end of which communicates with an opening leading through said top wall into the container body. This opening has a fusible plug 20 extending therethrough, the inner end being engaged by a float 2!. Said float normally extends across the openingas illustrated in Fig. 3, toprovide, in conjunction with said fusible lug'2ll, 'a' seal. When the temperature reaches a predetermined degree, the plug melts, thereby permitting the contents to be dispensed bythe simpl expedient'of turning the container upside down, assuming it to be in the position shown in Fig. 1.

' The container E6, in addition to being adapted for use per se to automatically expel extinguishing fluid under thermal influence. is adapted to be used in conjunction with'suitab1e means, generally designated 22, employed for successively puncturing the container and expelling the contents thereo'f under pressure. The means 22 consists of a head 23 and pump 24, the head and pump being preferably fixedly connected in liquid tight relationship. The head '23inc1udes a screw threaded cap 25 which complements and is adapted for detachabl engagement with the threaded nipple ll of the container 16. The head 23 is provided with a tapered opening 26 in which a tapered shank 21, corresponding to the'taner of the'opening 26, is slidably mounted. The

inner enlarged end of the shank 2! is equipped with a puncturing agent 28 which agent, as

shown to advantage in Fig; consists of'aplurality of knife-edge flutes 29. In the present instance, -I employ four flutes, but this number scribed. The opposite or reduced end of thei shank 21 is provided with a hand engaging but,-. ton 3| upon which pressure may be exerted to force the puncturing agent through the wall of the container [6, in the manner shown in Fig'l 5 of the drawings. As soon as pressure is released from the button 3 I, the puncturing agent is automatically withdrawn from the container, by a coil spring 32 which is convoluted on the shank 21, at a point between the head 23 and button 3|. When the expansive force of thespring .32 has been spent, the puncturing agent is. in,substantially the position shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

I have found that in using a puncturing agent as herein shown and described, thewall of the container in being punctured, initially forms four separate segments 33, each of which curls or rolls, as shown to advantage in Fig. v6, thereby insuring free egress of the contents of the container. a

By preference, a washer34 is mounted in the cap 25 adapted for engagement with the flange i 8, as illustrated to advantage in Fig. 5, to. insure a liquid tight connection.v

The pump 24 includes a cylinder having reciprocally mounted therein a piston or plunger 35,

c the latter being reciprocated by a handle 36 carried by a rod 31. The inner end of the pump 24 is provided with a recess in which a one-way valve 38 is mounted. Therecess communicates with an air-inlet passageway 39, the latter opening into the cap 25. The head 23 is also provided .with an outlet air passageway 40,one end of which communicates with the cap 25, the opposite end communicating at one end with the bore of a nozzle 4|.

The pump or piston 35 may be of any desired design, but I prefer to use backed-leather cups,

- after the means 22 is engaged with the container I5,.and the latter punctured, in the manner above described, operation of the pump 24, in a manifest manner, forces air through the opening 39 into the container I6, building up pressure in the latter to force the liquid under pressure through the opening 40 and into the bore of the nozzle 4|.

In the modification of this invention illustrated in Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive, a container I6 is used,

modification, air and fluid openings are formed in the container, being of course much smaller in" size than the opening formed-by agent 28. The

head of the means 22 is provided with fluid passageways 45 and 46 constituting fluid inlet In addition, the head of said means Each of the passageways is provided with one-way valves "of standard construction, operable in a manner v.well known in the art, for an obvious purpose.

In the modified form of invention shown in Fig. 13,1 employ structure identical to that shown 'in'detail in Figs. l,v 5, and 6, of the drawings,

except for the pump construction. Here the pump, designated '24 is constructed to have a much shorter throw. With this end in'view, a

,one-cuppiston 35' is provided which is normally urged to its outermost position, in a relatively short cylinder, by a helical spring 48. The'piston under pressure, in the same-manner as described for the form of invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive.

Preferably when the container I6 is to be used per se, the cone I9 is employed in order to concentrate heat on the fusible plug 20. If desired however, the cone may be removed and, as illustrated in Fig. 14, a float 2| employed, in which pneend of a pin 49 is mounted. The opposite end of the. pin is adapted to project through an opening in the bottom of the container and is secured by a fusible seal 50. As will be apparent,

when a predetermined temperature is reached, the fusible seal will be broken, thereby permitting the contents of the container to be dispensed. It is, of course. understood that although I-have shown and described only a single float 29 and its associate structure, a plurality of floats may ,beused if so desired, each of course engaged over an opening-in the container bottom. Y

.Althou'ghl have herein described preferred forms-of my. invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that various changes may be made herein,- .especially in the details of construction,

which is identical in construction with the con-2'.

tainer I6 except for the improvement of concentric nipples l'l', these, in addition to being shown in Figs. 10 and 11, are likewise illustrated to advantage in Fig. 14.

The container puncturing and fluid expelling .means 22' of this modification likewise differs from that already described in that two or more container puncturing agents 28' are provided, each of which consists of a tapered shank 21' the working end of each of which is provided with a knife edge.43, which terminates in a sharp .point 44. The agents 28' are operated through the head of the means 22' in exactly the same manner. as the puncturing agents 28 are operated through the head of the means 22. In use of this in said wall to provide-communication between the container and pump, and a nozzle carried by the pump through which fluid flowing through said opening is discharged upon operation of said pump;

. 2. A fire extinguisher including-a sealed fluid container, and means for ejecting the contents of said container comprising a unitary structure detachably connected to one wall of the container, said structure comprising puncturing means,

pump-means and discharge means,'said puncturing means opening the wall of the container for flow of fluid from the container into the discharge means forejection therefrom.

SAMUEL V. SWARR, Sm. 

